The two got separated from their group on the way down the mountain

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Two novice San Diego hikers who went missing on a San Bernardino County mountain over the weekend have been found alive and well.

The man and woman set out to hike Mount Baldy around 9 a.m. Sunday with three other hikers, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

But the San Diegans were inexperienced hikers, deputies say, and they got split up from the rest of the group on their way back down the mountain.

Their companions reported them missing once they reached the bottom. A search and rescue mission was launched around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, and by Monday, that effort included the sheriff’s aviation division and volunteers on the ground.

By 11 a.m. Monday, they were recovered. The hikers say they got lost from the main trail and became exhausted. They spent a cold night sleeping on the mountain.

Published at 1:28 PM PDT on May 26, 2014 | Updated at 1:50 PM PDT on May 26, 2014